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50th Anniversary of Voting Rights Act

Floor Speech

By: Judy Chu
By: Judy Chu
Date: July 29, 2015
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Arts, Entertainment, and History

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Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, hundreds of courageous, unarmed men and women marched from Selma to Montgomery to call for the right to vote. They were met with violence, prejudice, and hate; but these brave men and women continued their push for equality. Because of their sacrifice and determination, the historic Voting Rights Act was passed.

For over 40 years, the Voting Rights Act was one of our best tools to combat historic discrimination. It provided critical voter protections to ensure that Americans of all backgrounds had equal access to the ballot box; but with the Supreme Court's Shelby County decision 2 years ago, key provisions were gutted from this act that must be restored.

As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, I urge my Republican colleagues to restore dignity to our electoral process and ensure that this is a democracy of the people and by the people. Allow us to vote on meaningful legislation to restore the Voting Rights Act.

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